Desford back on form against rivals Earl Shilton Albion

The hosts mounted wave after wave of attacks, and could have been four up inside the first 10 minutes

Desford’s fine flowing football, which
had been missing for several weeks, returned with a vengeance against old rivals Earl Shilton Albion, writes Stewart Bint.

The hosts mounted wave after wave of attacks, and could have been four up inside the first 10 minutes. Jordan
Small’s pace saw him behind Albion’s defence in the opening 20 seconds,
and he was only denied by keeper Marc Radforth, who barely had time to draw breath all afternoon.

Just
moments later strike partner Ryan Ogden found himself in a similar position, but back-pedalling Sam Robertson’s last gasp tackle snuffed out the danger.

Although most first-half traffic was one-way in this Leicestershire Senior League
Premier Division clash – early examples were Shaun Hunt and Ogden both heading over, and Ogden hitting the post – it took Desford 30 minutes to
break the deadlock. Ogden pushed home after Albion failed to clear their lines from Simon Goodman’s delivery.

Albion
mounted a short-lived but spirited fightback spanning both sides of the
break. Shortly before half time Jake Armstrong’s low cross flashed across the goal-face, marginally ahead of the advancing front men. And they came close three times early in the second half: Dave Darrage ruled
offside after getting Leigh Wildman’s freekick into the net; Desford keeper Oscar Webb smothering Leigh Syrett’s shot after a defensive error
let the Albion skipper through; and Syrett also hitting the post.

Such
was the fragility of the lead at that stage, that Desford Manager Owen Wright was about to ring the changes, when Jordan Small sunk Albion’s spirits by converting another of Goodman’s superb deliveries on the hour
mark.

Throughout the afternoon many of Desford’s moves began from the channels, where Goodman
proved to be so dangerous. Albion relied more on quick breaks and long balls, probably forced upon them by Desford effectively neutralising their midfield playmaker Pele Orton.

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